Media Naturalness Theory 2
Kock, Ned. “The Ape That Used Email: Understanding E-Communication Behavior through Evolution Theory.” Communications of AIS 5 3 (2001): 29.
In September 2009, I published posts on media richness theory and media synchronicity theory. (Be sure to check out this week’s posts continuing the discussion on each of those, as well.) Additionally, I discussed media naturalness theory . While that post provides a decent overview of the theory, including why he finds media richness and media synchronicity insufficient, I want to expound more on this article/theory.
A motivating factor behind Kock’s development of media naturalness theory is his observation that the existing theories that try to explain “e-communication” fall under either technological theory or under social theory.
“Technological theories provide a simplified view of e-communication, usually focusing on communication media and collaborative task as predictive factors. Social theories try to understand e-communication as a social and very complex phenomenon, and more often than not, end up being more “explanatory” and “descriptive” than predictive” (4)
Kock, therefore, seeks a desirable alternative that merged both technological and social thinking into a more unified theory; thus, he developed media naturalness theory based on evolution theory. By using Darwin’s biological theory as a foundation for his own, Kock puts forth the idea that there are both biological and social influences and constraints of communication media.
Many technological theories look at communication as task-oriented, finding that participant behaviors and outcomes are determined by their use of the right medium for the right task, not by factors of individuals actually communicating through those media. Therefore, the article “builds on the social influence model, and shows that social influences can shape individual behavior toward e-communication media in ways that are inconsistent with media richness theory predictions” (7).
For example, a supervisor’s insistence that subordinate employees use a certain communication medium or that they respond within a certain amount of time will affect their use of it, including frequency of use, rate of feedback immediacy, and even their attitudes toward it. Similarly, that I required my students to use a certain (video) medium and tool and to respond weekly, would certainly have its affects (though such outcomes are not necessarily part of my study).